Touching Eric, Sylvia realized that this wasn't a dream—his heartbeat resonated strongly. Tears welled up in her eyes. The last time they had met, Eric had promised to take her home, and true to his word, he didn't disappoint.Brent understood that Sylvia and Eric's relationship was complex. Without launching an investigation, he just smiled faintly and returned to the second floor.Hearing commotion upstairs, Eric guided Sylvia to his room.With many doubts lingering since her detention, Sylvia expected continuous confinement. Even when the Rogers family arrived to retrieve her, she thought it was just a change of location until she saw Eric.Eric elaborated, revealing the formidable power of the Rogers family in Phoenix City. The group that detained her was no ordinary enemy, yet the Rogers family had managed to resolve it."You've been through a lot," Sylvia said empathetically. She knew Eric had done everything to bring her home, and he had succeeded."We'll go back tomorro
If the room's door were kicked open, Eric would swiftly confront and eliminate the intruders. Thirty minutes later, only occasional gunshots echoed, signaling the conclusion of the intense battle.Sylvia remained anxious, uncertain about the victor.Who dared to launch a night assault on the Rogers family?A sudden knock on the door startled Eric. "Hol. Johnson, Ms. Williams, I apologize for the disturbance. The threat has been neutralized. Please rest assured," Brent told them.After such an ordeal, sleep eluded Eric and Sylvia.Eric spoke. "Mr. Rogers, my plane is still at Phoenix City Airport. Could you arrange for our return to King City tonight?"If it were only Eric, waiting until morning would suffice, but with Sylvia's safety in mind, immediate action was imperative.As for the Rogers family, Buck was lucid, Brent had assisted in bringing Sylvia back, and most matters had been resolved.The affairs of the Rogers family were no longer Eric's concern."Alright! I'll ar
Following a brief discussion, they decided to host a press conference the next morning, drawing attention from all sides.The intrigue lay in the focus of the Innova Group's conference. They had recently presented a new product, and speculations had arisen about the possibility of another launch.The buzz intensified.-Although Sylvia had returned for just a day, she stayed home, letting Michael handle the arrangements.After sorting out matters with Andy, Eric and Sylvia visited the kindergarten. The principal sighed, assuming Sylvia might not return. The kids had noted Sylvia's absence.-After an afternoon of play, Eric bought groceries and cooked Sylvia's favorite dishes.Faced with a table of delicious food, Sylvia relished the flavors. "It's been ages since I had something this good."Eric smiled. Sylvia was easy to please. A few home-cooked dishes and some seafood made her day.Sylvia had a restful night and was energized.-Early the next morning, they went to the
Sylvia publicly denounced those responsible for her detention in Phoenix City, revealing that her adversaries aimed to strike against the Innova Group.The press conference was a live broadcast, quickly seizing the headlines and dominating the news.Reactions were mixed, with some applauding in relief while others grew concerned. Unbeknownst to many, Sylvia had returned to Salt City.In King City, the Hernandez and Montgomery families were influential, yet they still held a slightly lower status compared to the city's top four families: the McClains, Larsons, Watsons, and another one.-The living room inside the grand Larson mansion seemed somewhat empty, housing only two individuals.Owen Larson, the family head, sat with someone who, at first glance, bore a resemblance to Michael—none other than Shadow.The Combat Department never anticipated Shadow's return to King City, concealed within the Larson family.Their expressions turned grim upon learning of Sylvia's return thr
In the late evening.As the Innova employees gradually dispersed, Michael bid farewell to Eric and the others and arranged for a designated driver to take him back to his villa.The Innova Group, with its millions in annual salary and a luxurious villa, had fulfilled all of Michael's requirements. However, the value he brought to the company surpassed his compensation and living arrangements.Michael felt content and somewhat inebriated. He opened his villa door and immediately sensed something amiss, prompting him to become alert."Who goes there?" he demanded.Surveying the villa, Michael noticed someone on the sofa but remained composed despite the intrusion. After pouring a glass of water and taking a sip, he looked at the person on the sofa."Ms. Williams returned from Phoenix City, and the company held a celebration for her. Do you want some water?"The person on the sofa, bearing a resemblance to Michael, sighed. Despite Shadow's silence, Michael sat down, seemingly unfaz
Michael had interacted with Eric frequently, but he never anticipated that Eric could harm Shadow."Do you realize your mistake?" Shadow sneered. "You're aiding the enemy against me!"Michael remained unfazed.He sighed. "Brother, stop this. It won't end well. Do you really think you can control the world? In reality, you're just a pawn!""What about you? Aren't you just a pawn for the Innova Group as well?" Shadow retorted angrily.Before Michael could respond, Shadow attacked again. "As your elder brother, I'll teach you a lesson for Mom and Dad!""How dare you bring them up?!" Michael retorted with fury.The two brothers engaged in a fierce battle."You only care about the Crimson Order and martial arts! Mom and Dad were calling your name before they died! And what did you do?" Michael was indignant.After a punch that sent Shadow reeling, Michael didn't relent, shouting, "You self-centered fool! Mom and Dad never got to see you! You don't have the right to teach me a lesso
Sylvia had just made a joke. Growing up in wealth, she didn't place much value on money. During her time at Williams Corp., her salary and benefits surpassed what she received at the Innova Group.Eric remarked, "By the way, I noticed that Michael suffered internal injuries just now. I didn't expect him to know martial arts."Eric was puzzled because Michael wasn't a local in Salt City. So, who had he clashed with last night?Sylvia smiled. "Well, Michael came from an international company. Knowing martial arts is quite normal. Besides, it's not a bad thing. Many people want to harm us, so having some martial arts skills for self-defense is good."Eric agreed with Sylvia's perspective. However, he still had many doubts. When Shadow came to Salt City, Ruth suspected that Michael was Shadow.Considering their strikingly similar silhouettes, Eric wondered if Michael had some connection with Shadow. After all, until now, the three giants hadn't come looking for trouble with Michael.
Eric boldly speculated that the three major international giants and the Crimson Order were affiliated.In response, Michael nodded and sighed, stating, "You're right. He is my brother."With this confirmation, Eric sighed with mixed feelings. Ruth's suspicion wasn't baseless—Michael's silhouette resembled Shadow's.Michael clarified, "He didn't send me to infiltrate the Innova Group. Although we are related by blood, we have different perspectives."He has been obsessed with martial arts since a young age. I never thought he would join the Crimson Order and become an important figure in it."What surprised me even more was that the Crimson Order is also behind the three giants."While Eric had long known that Michael was not an ordinary person, he never expected him to be so well-informed. From Shadow to the Crimson Order and then to the three giants, Michael seemed to know everything inside out.A sense of danger enveloped Eric. The consequences would have been unimaginable if
In terms of innate talent, Eric was unparalleled, having reached the pinnacle of martial arts. With a single punch, he sent the 'God' flying."Good!" Stealthbane shouted with excitement.The ultimate enemy had finally been defeated, bringing peace to the world. Eric sighed in relief.However, in the next moment, the 'God' stood up again. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "You have successfully enraged me!"Everyone braced for a potential massacre, but instead, the enemy turned and fled.Could Eric let him escape?"Chase him!" Stealthbane commanded.Allowing this foe to escape would spell endless trouble.A group of people pursued the enemy, who soon reappeared clad in iron armor."Not seen this before, have you?" The 'God' seemed to have recovered somewhat. "Did you think I only research viruses? Wrong! I control global resources and global wealth!"This is our newly developed Doomforge Exosuit which amplifies a person's battle prowess tenfol
The sturdy floor lay in utter disarray.In desperation, Ruth shouted, "Eric, don't give him any more chances! Finish him off swiftly, or we'll face endless trouble!"Eric was well aware of this logic. As he fought, he said, "He's incredibly strong. Taking him down quickly isn't possible! We must fight to the death!"Eric had never feared battle. Besides, this might very well be his final fight.Their fists clashed fiercely.The 'God' also noticed that Eric was growing more formidable as the battle progressed."How do you have so much strength? Wouldn't it be better if we joined forces to control the world? We could have anything we desire!"All the world's wealth, women, and resources would be ours to enjoy. Why won't you listen to reason?" he roared.Eric's momentum didn't falter. "I don't share your grand ambitions. I just want a simple life with a job that pays 1,000 dollars a month and a warm home with my wife and kids. But you, you've disturbed my peace!"The 'God' was fu
The 'God' grew more courageous as the battle raged on, causing Stealthbane to worry incessantly.In another high-stakes clash, Eric and his opponent both retreated. Eric sensed his opponent's growing strength, finding it rather peculiar.The 'God' clenched his fist. "I must thank you! My techniques were slightly incomplete, but I've managed to fill the gaps through this battle!"Eric marveled at his opponent's genius. To mend something incomplete was indeed a rare talent.Despite Eric training with the complete manual, he could only match the 'God' blow for blow. This person was terrifying!The opponent's confidence soared. Although Eric had trained with the full manual, the 'God' felt his innate talent far surpassed Eric's. If he could match Eric with an incomplete manual, now that he had perfected it, wouldn't he be unbeatable?"I thought you had potential and considered inviting you to share this world with me," the 'God' said, his tone turning icy. "But now, I see it's unnece
Stealthbane even felt that Eric might not be a match for the "God."The power was overwhelming.The terrifying aura was enough to crush everything. To an ordinary person, this was a real deity—the strength possessed had already transcended human limits.Eric made his move with a burst of speed. The clash of their fists created a thunderous explosion, and the sound was so intense that Stealthbane felt his eardrums might shatter.This was a battle of the highest caliber, one that even a legend like Stealthbane could not hope to join.Seeing the two evenly matched, Stealthbane sighed in relief. At least there was a chance that the strongest combatants were neutralizing each other. The outcome was still uncertain.Eric shook his aching fist, his expression grave. The opponent's strength was as he had anticipated. If the ultimate boss of the Luminous did not possess such combat power, it would be absurd.Clearly, this "God" had also gauged Eric's strength.He extended a hand toward
Stealthbane knew that the figure facing them must be the ultimate leader of the Luminous.Suddenly, he no longer wanted to die. If he could hold on just a little longer, it would all be over."Mr. Johnson, these people don't seem ordinary. Could that leader be the ultimate figure of the Luminous? Are we about to complete the game?" he whispered.To him, this mission to the Ark felt like a game: defeat the final boss, and victory is achieved."If I'm not mistaken, it should be. This person gives me... a sense of danger," Eric said.Upon hearing this, Stealthbane felt reassured.Just a sense? That meant the problem wasn't too grave!The leader on the opposite side turned to Eric. "I didn't expect you to make it this far. I underestimated your strength, believing my Ark was impregnable, that no enemy could breach it. But why are you so persistent? Why such determination?"He suddenly screamed in a fit of hysteria, "I have so many people! Such a grand scheme! It has all succeeded!
Brent shouted desperately, "After you get on your knees, they'll kill you all, and we won't survive either! Kill them! Kill them all!"He understood the situation with stark clarity. Kneeling meant certain death. If they had to die anyway, fighting back would be their only chance of survival.Eric sighed. "Mr. Rogers, in the end, it was we who implicated you. But this place must be eradicated, and the Luminous must be destroyed as well! Everyone, attack!"As the battle commenced, the masked man immediately struck Brent with a punch.Eric charged in. "Die!"He knew that Brent was unlikely to survive. This punch was his way of avenging Brent.The masked man spun around, trying to block Eric's punch. But the speed of the blow was too much—the gust of wind from the punch arrived before the fist did.It was an instant kill.The masked man had no time to react before Eric's punch collided with his chest. The terrifying force shattered the mask on the man's face, revealing an unfamili
Stealthbane was blinded by rage. He was killing anyone in sight, his fury unrelenting. They had ventured deep into enemy territory, where every encounter seemed to be with an adversary.Eric and his team from the Combat Department showed no mercy.Yet even Stealthbane's resolve was wearing thin."I can't kill them all! It feels like every master in the world is concentrated here!" he shouted in frustration.He felt the number of people he had brought was insufficient. If he had brought a few thousand more, he might have been able to overrun the place.Stealthbane was overwhelmed by the sheer horror of their situation. Fortunately, they had arrived. If anyone else had come, they would have met their end here.The numbers of the masters seemed endless."Damn it!" Stealthbane cursed angrily. "There are too many of them, and they're all exceptionally powerful. What kind of game is this?"He was tempted to retreat, but where could he go?Eric sent an enemy flying, pushing forward
"I was opposed to coming in from the start, but as you all know, the Rogers family is extremely complex. If we hadn't entered, I might have ended up dead. At least if the virus isn't a threat, that's something!" Brent poured himself a cup of coffee and continued. "These people are ruthless! They want to kill everyone outside the Ark and establish a new order, managed by a select few. It's insane!"You don't need to tell me—I know you're here to kill them."He then pulled a small token from his pocket. "This is our Rogers family's privilege here. It allows us to move freely between different levels. With this, you can go anywhere!"Stealthbane grabbed it eagerly. "Why didn't you mention this earlier? Things will go much smoother with this!"Brent sighed. "Once you've handled everything, could you take me out with you? I really don't want to stay in this dreadful place any longer.""Sure!" Eric nodded. "We'll definitely call you when we leave. For now, we're heading out."Brent e
Everything was ready, but they couldn't just walk in.Ruth instructed the Combat Department to conduct a three-day intensive training for everyone, focusing on coordinated combat.-After three days, the forces led by Stealthbane moved out, first dismantling the outer defenses of the Ark. This was their specialty!A large group of several hundred arrived in front of the Ark's entrance. At first glance, it resembled a mountain.Jack scratched his head and said, "Is this the gate? I don't see any door."The Holy Templar's people arrived as well. St. Pius said, "Everyone, don't rush. Wait for two minutes. Once the gate opens, we need to get in quickly. I have other plans inside, but once we're in, it's going to be a life-or-death battle! No one should show any mercy!"Stealthbane flexed his fists and replied, "Do I look like a good guy to you? Just watch me deal with them!"No sooner had he spoken than there was a tremendous roar. The ground shook, and the door of the Ark swung